Hernial truss.



L. A. SMITH.

HERNIAL TRUSS.

(Application tiled June 27, 1901.)

Paten-tml Jan. 7, 1902.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

l lummmxx si; f

No. 690,624. Patented Jan. 7,`|9o2.

L. A. sMlTH. l

HERNIAL TRUSS.

(Applicaton filed June 27, 190l.\

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Movdevl.)

UNITED STATES- n A A M..

PATENT OFFICE.

LUOIUS ANTON SMITH, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

HERNIL TRUss.'

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N O. 690,624, dated J' anuary '7, 1902.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, LUoIUs ANTON SMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Topeka, in the county of ShawneeandA State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trusses, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to improvements in trusses; and it consists, mainly, in a novel pad especially adapted to corpulent patientsmovel means for applying and adjusting the pad to a patient with ease and accuracy, and novel means for attaching the pad to a wire belt or support.

Corpulent patients or those having over.

hanging abdomens have suffered greatlywhile wearing trusses, because when they stoop their large ilabby abdomens lap over the upper edges of the pads and by reason of friction and perspiration become sore and painful. In fact, in many cases patients have suered so acutely from the cause mentioned as to be compelled to stop wearing trusses.

One of the objects of myinvention is to provide a truss-pad which is provided with a forwardly-projecting portion at its upper large end, said portion having a rounded side to be presented to the abdomen of a patient, and being in consequence adapted to prevent the abdomen from lapping over its edge and becoming chafed or sore.

Another object is to provide means for fastening a truss pad or pads on the body of the patient, such means being susceptible of easy application and yet calculated to securely hold the pad or pads'in proper position, and being, moreover, adapted to hold the pad upward against the hernia with the tension desired.

Another object is to provide means through the medium of which truss-pads may be eX- peditiously and securely connected to the fastening means in the position desired.

Other advantageousfeatures of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which-V Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single truss embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation illustrating the application of Application filed June 27, 1901. Serial No. 661284. (No model.)

the cushion to the wire of the fastening appliances. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on the broken line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.l .tisa View illustrating the outer surface of the pad and its oblique position when in use. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the pad. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of a modication. Fig. 7 is a view' of a double truss constructed in accordancev with my invention;

Similar letters of referencedesignate corresponding parts in all of the several views of the drawings.

My improved truss-pad A may be made of wood,metal,rubber,or any other material suitable to the purpose' and may be either solid or hollow, as desired. It is peculiar in that it is provided at its upper large end with a forwardly-projecting overhanging portion a., the inner side of which is rounded in conformity to the remainder of that side of the pad which is presented to the body of a patient, as shown. It is also peculiar in that it is provided below the projecting portiona -and in a plane considerably within the edge of said portion with a preferably circular recess b. By virtue of the'pad being provided with the forwardly-projecting overhanging portion rounded, as described, it will be ob served that when Vthe pad is fastened on the body of a corpulent or moderately-stout patient it will support the folds of the abdomen and effectually prevent the same from lapping over its edge, and in Vconsequence will conduce to the comfort of the wearer of the truss and enable him to stoop and move the body in various directions Without liability of chang and consequent soreness. It is obvious that while this pad is especially adapted for use upon corpulent patients it is equally valuable to all persons afflicted with hernia.

It is also obvious that if an ordinary pad be provided with raised side walls or flanges in place of the construction l have herein shown considerable relief will be alforded to suffering patients.

Ico

pose that it is cut away or hollowed obliquely at about a forty-live-degree angle with its longitudinal plane, as shown.

B is a clamping plate or keeper, of sheet metal or other suitable material, which rests in the recess b of the pad immediately below the projection a and has its side wall c let into said recess in the pad, as shown. The side wall or flange of this plate is cut away on one side about the distance illustrated, as indicated by c2, to provide play-room for a holding-wire, presently described. Said plate is provided with a stud c and is connected to the pad through the medium of screwsf, disposed at opposite sides of the stud, as shown. The plate B is designed to receive the loop g ofthe wire C, and the screwsf have for their purpose to clamp the said loop against the surface b of the pad, and thereby effect a strong and durable connection of the pad to the wire and one which is not liable to become loose and permit the position of the pad to be casually changed. The wire when bent to a loop form,as represented, gives a strength and rigidity to the fastening which is not possible to be obtained by a single unbent strand.

As before stated,the pad is designed to cover the inguinal canal of the body, and when it is remembered that such canal, while lying in the same approximate direction in all persons, varies somewhat in its direction of descent the advantage of the fastening described, which permits of the pad being tilted a sufficient extent in either direction to get a proper lit, will be readily appreciated.

When desired for the sake of cheapuess, the screwsf may be omitted, and in lieu thereof the stud c may be provided with ascrew-shank to enter the pad and connect the plate B thereto and also bind the loop g between the plate and the pad-surface b.

It is obvious that in place of the clampingplate and recess staples, nails with overhanging heads, orscrews may be employed for holding the loop g in position.

NVhen desirable, the pad may be what is known in the art as a water-pad, in which event it would be provided at its outer side with a metallic or other suitable plate shaped like the outer side of the pad shown in Fig. 4, recessed, and adapted for connection withthe plate B.

The wire C is bent upward and rearward from a point adjacent to the pad A and thence downward to form an arch, and at the rear end of said arch it is looped, as indicated by 7L, the said loop extending upwardly from the rear end of the arch. After the loop is thus formed the wire is preferably carried rearwardly a short distance, as indicated by 7b2, and terminates in a depending arm fi, which extends such a distance below the arch as to enable its lower end to rest at a point near and back of the hip-joint of the patient, this with a View of enabling the wire to hold the pad securely in position and against casual movement. The bend h2 of the wire is ad vantageous in that it allows the loop h to extend forward, with the result that when the patient stoops the loop h will remain close to the side and will not project behind the body or in any other direction. On the bight of the loop h and at the lower end of the arm 'L' are provided studs 7a l for the connection of the upper and lower straps, respectively, of the truss, as will be presently pointed out.

D is a cushion which has for its purpose to render the wire C comfortable to the body of the patient. This cushion is preferably form'ed of leather and comprises a portion m, which rests at the inner side of loop 71, and is connected thereto through the medium of a clip n, which embraces the loop, and a stiffening-plate p, which extends upwardly from the clip and is riveted to the cushion portion m, a sleeve q, which receives the main portion of the wire, and a sleeve r, which receives the rearward extension 7b2 and depending arm of the loop 7L. In lieu of having the arch and the dependingarmt'of the wireextend through the extreme ends of the'sleeves gr, which construction is objectionable, because of the strain upon the stitches, I prefer to make apertures s in the sleeves, through which the wire passes, as shown in Figs. l and 3. The upwardly-projecting portion may when desired be formed by aplate h, attached to and extending upward from the arch and also attachedto the depending arm t', as shown in Fig. 6. In either case it hugs the side and back of the patient, aifords a place above the hip for the connection of the back-strap, and contributes very materially to the proper adjustment and holding of the truss on the patient.

E is the lower strap of the fastening means, which has an apertured portion t at one end for connection with the stud Z of the arm t and an apertured portion u at its opposite end for connection with the stud e of pad A, and F is the upper strap, which is equipped at one end with an apertured portion fu for connection with the stud 7a on loop 7L and at its opposite end with a stud for adjustable connection with the lower strap.

The truss shown in Fig. l is provided with a right-side pad and is applied in the position shown in said iigurethat is to say, the pad is arranged to cover at least the internal ring of the inguinal canal of the body, and the wire C extends upwardlyand rearwardly from the IOO IIO

pad, this being advantageous, since a leverage is formed so that the upper strap F can be adjusted to hold the pad upward against the hernia with the tension desired. The cushioncovered portion of the arch rests against the hip of the patient and by reason of its curvature conforms closely to the body, while the upwardly-projecting portion h rests against the hip in the rear of the crest of the ilium, and the lower end of the arm 'L' rests at the rear and close to the hip-joint. From this it follows that said upwardly-projecting portion h and arm z' of the wire contribute materially to the security of the fastening of the pad on the body. The upper strap F is passed around the body at the waist and connected to the stud on the lower strap E, and, as before described, it is adapted, by reason of the leverage afforded by the upwardly and rearwardly extending wire, to be adjusted so as to hold the pad upward against the hernia and under the desired tension. The strap E is passed around the body over one-hip and connected to the stud e of the pad. The closer the upper strap is buttoned to the pad the lower will the bottom strap rest around the back, and the further said upper strap is buttoned from the pad the higher will be the lower strap around the back.

When two of the springs C and two pads A are employed to form a double truss, the pads will of course be oppositsly inclined and a single strap will be employed to connect the pads at the front of the patient, while two straps will -be employed to connect the portions h and arms t' of the two wires at the back of the patient, all as shown in Fig. 7.

I prefer to form the spring C of a single piece ofwire, as shown; but I do not desire to be understood as confining myself to such construction, nor to forming the wire of one piece of any material, since, as before stated, an upwardly-extending plate or bar h, connected to the arch and also to the arm i', as shown in Fig. 6, may be employed in lieu of the loop h. I also do not desire to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction and relative arrangement of the several parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ls-e'- t l. A truss-pad having a convex surface at one side, and a surface at its opposite side adapted for the connection of fastening means, and also having a forwardly-proj ectin g upper end overhanging the latter surface.

2. A truss-pad having a convex surface at its opposite side, adapted for the connection of fastening means, and also havingthe forwardly-projecting, upper portion overhanging the latter surface; the upper side of said overhanging portion being convex or rounded in conformity to and forming a continuation. of the convex side of the pad.

3. A truss-pad having a forwardly-projecting overhanging portion at its upper end, and also having a recess arranged immediately below said portion, and in a plane considerably within the edge thereof; in combination with a clamping-plate having its side wall arranged in the recess, a wire for pressing the pad against a hernia and provided with a loop interposed between the plate and the recess of the pad, and a screw passed through the plate and the loop of the wire and into the pad for clamping the loop of Ythe spring betweenthe plate and pad.

4. In a truss, the combination of a pad having a recess in one of its sides, a clampingplate having its side wall arranged in said recess, the belt-wire comprising the arch, the upwardly projecting loop at the rear' end thereof, the arm depending from the loop, and the loop g at the forward end of the arch; said loop being interposed between the clamping-plate and the pad, and means passed through the loop g of the belt-wire and connecting the clamping-plate and the pad.

5. In a truss, the combination of a pad, and a wire connected thereto and comprising the arch,the upwardly-projecting loop at the rear end thereof, and the arm depending from the loop.

6. In a truss, the combination of a pad having a forwardly-projecting overhanging portion at its upper end,rounded on its upper side, a wire for pressing the pad against a hernia, a clamping-plate disposed obliquely on the pad, and having its side walls arranged in the recess thereof whereby said pad is held in an inclined position, and an adjustable connection between the plate and pad for clamping the plate on a portion of the wire and holding the pad thereto'.

7. In a truss, the combination of a pad, a

Ywire connected thereto and having the curved arch extending rearwardly from the pad, and also having the upward projection at the rear end of the arch andthe arm depending from said portion, and straps for securing or fastening the pad and wire on the body of a patient.

8. In a truss, the combination of a` pad, a wire connected thereto and having the curved arch extending rearwardly from the pad, and also having the upward projection at the rear end of the arch, andthe arm depending from said upward projection, a cushion of suitable material applied to the wire, and straps for securing or fastening the pad and wi-re on the body of a patient.

9. In a truss, the combination of a pad, and a wireconnected thereto and having the arch, the upward projection at the rear end of the arch, and the arm depending from said upward projection.

l0. In a truss, the combination of a pad provided with a stud, a wire connected thereto and comprising the arch, the upwardly-projecting loop at the rear end thereof, and the arm depending from the loop; said wire being provided on its loop and depending arm with studs, a cushion of suitable material applied to the wire, and straps for securing or fastening the pad and wire on the body of a patient.

- end thereof, and the arm depending from the loop, the cushion having the portion arrangedy at the inner side of the loop of the spring, and

also having sleeves receiving the arch and depending arm of said Wire, a clip connected to my hand in presence of two subscribing Witthe loop and having a resilient tongue eonmesses. neeted to the portion of the cushion at the inner side thereof, and straps for securing or LUCIUS ANTON SMITH 5' fastening the pad and wire on the body of a. W'itnesses:

patient. S. NELSON,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set GEO. E. STOKER. 

